• The forum upgrades have been completed. These were moderate security fixes from our software vendor and it looks like everything is working well. If you see any problems please post in the Forum Technical Support forum or email us at forum_moderator (at) aawforum.org. Thank you
  • February 2026 Turning Challenge: Cookie Jar! (click here for details)
  • Congratulations to Matt Carvalho for "Red Mallee Folded Form" being selected as Turning of the Week for February 9, 2026 (click here for details)
  • AAW Symposium demonstrators announced - If the 2026 AAW International Woodturning Symposium is not on your calendar, now is the time to register. And there are discounts available if you sign up early, by Feb. 28. Early Bird pricing gives you the best rate for our 40th Anniversary Symposium in Raleigh, North Carolina, June 4–7, 2026. (There are discounts for AAW chapter members too) For more information vist the discussion thread here or the AAW registration page
  • Welcome new registering member. Your username must be your real First and Last name (for example: John Doe). "Screen names" and "handles" are not allowed and your registration will be deleted if you don't use your real name. Also, do not use all caps nor all lower case.

Question about hardening tool steel

Tom Ricker

Tom Ricker

Joined
Nov 9, 2018
Messages
1
Likes
0
Location
Ensenada, Baja California, Mexico
So I made some turning tools from A2 tool steel,now they are going to the hardening shop. What hardness should I specify ? Rockwell C-60 was mentioned in a couple articles . Cost for 9 tools is not ridiculous,and better done by someone more experienced than I. Thanks. Tom
 
58 to 62 is what most tools I read about are hardened to. I make most of my hand made tools from High Carbon steel so I can harden them myself. These are usually specialty tools that aren't used a lot so they hold an edge just fine for what I do with them.
 
If cutting tools, I'd go towards the harder end of the scale (62), for scrapers toward the softer end (58). Of course, everybody has their own thoughts on this. For cutting tools, I like a harder edge, seems to give a better finish off the tool. For fine scraper work, I hone off the grinder burr and burnish a small, super sharp hook. Doesn't last long, but it's the results I'm after. I had a tool too hard for burnishing and could feel the edge chipping while trying to form the hook. Granted, it was a skew and I was using it for something it wasn't designed for, lesson learned... Again...
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top